Savannah State has hired Jason Cable as Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance, director of athletics, Sterling Steward, Jr., announced Friday.

Cable will also serve as Game Operations Manager.

Cable comes to SSU from Jackson State where he served as Assistant Director of Compliance since 2010. From 2009-10, he worked at Livingstone as Associate Director of Compliance and Champs Life Skills Coordinator. Before that he worked at his alma mater Alcorn State.

As an undergraduate at Alcorn State, Cable was a member of the men’s basketball team.

The Huntsville, Alabama native was a member of the 1999-00 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship team, was named 2001 SWAC Player of the Week, was a member of the 2001-02 SWAC tournament championship team and was named the SWAC 2001-02 Offensive Player of the Year

AASU athletics ranked 19th in Director’s Cup

The Armstrong Atlantic State University athletic department is ranked 19th in the first Division II Learfield Director’s Cup standings, released this week after the conclusion of the fall championship sports segment.

The Pirates accumulated 133 points during the fall season with the women’s soccer team earning 83 points for its NCAA national semifinal finish and the volleyball team accumulating 50 points for its second-round appearance in the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Grand Valley State (260) leads the cup competition, while Cal State Chico (257) is second, followed by Tampa (224), Colorado School of Mines (198) with California (Pa.) and Western State tied for fifth with 190 points.

Among fellow Peach Belt schools, Flagler is 16th and Montevallo is 69th while Columbus State and North Georgia are each 70th.

NATIONAL

Munson memorial set for today in Sanford Stadium

ATHENS — A one-hour memorial service for former University of Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson will be held today at 1 p.m. in Sanford Stadium.

Munson, who served as the voice of the Georgia Bulldogs for 42 years, died at his Athens home Nov. 20, with complications from pneumonia.

Seating will be on the south side of the stadium. Stadium gates open at 12 p.m., and free parking on a first come, first served basis will be available in all surface lots and the Tate Center parking deck. Parking will not be permitted on sidewalks.

IndyCar eyes return to Phoenix Speedway

As the IndyCar Series searches for venues to fill its schedule, the possibility exists for a potential return to Phoenix International Raceway.

Bryan Sperber, president of PIR, told The Associated Press on Friday he’d welcome conversations with IndyCar about a return to the desert. PIR hosted IndyCar races from 1996 through 2005, and USAC and CART ran at the track from 1964 to 1995.

“Phoenix has a long history with IndyCar and open wheel, and while there would be challenges in bringing the series back to the track, we’d certainly like to try to work through them and see if there’s not a way to host IndyCar races again,” Sperber said.

But, Sperber said it is too late for Phoenix to be added to the 2012 IndyCar schedule.

“I think 2013 is the earliest we could entertain anything,” he said.

IndyCar is in need of races now, and has yet to release its 2012 schedule. The series said Thursday it would not return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next season while it continues to investigate the Oct. 16 accident that killed two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

Leafs, Raptors bought by communication companies

TORONTO — Canada’s largest telecommunication companies announced Friday they have agreed to buy the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors in a billion-dollar deal as the fierce telecom rivals seek content for their sports channels, digital properties and smartphones.

Rogers Communications and BCE Inc purchased a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for about $1 billion in one of the richest sports deal in North American history.

Rogers and BCE, major competitors in wireless, internet and cable, will each own 37.5 percent of Canada’s largest sports conglomerate while Toronto businessman Larry Tanenbaum upped his minority stake from 20 to 25 percent in a total sale worth $1.32 billion Canadian (US$1.3 billion)

The storied Maple Leafs are hockey’s richest club and have long been the most followed hockey team in hockey-mad Canada. In all, the Leafs have won 11 Stanley Cups, but none since 1967. MLSE also owns the Air Canada Centre, the home of the Maple Leafs and Raptors and a major concert venue in Canada’s largest city.